Accommodation Needs Of Overseas Students

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30559, 30 September 1964, Page 24

Accommodation Needs Of Overseas Students

Suitable accommodation was one of the most important aspects in the life of students from overseas studying in New Zealand, and in most cases a hall of residence or hostel could best provide this in the student’s initial years, Mr G. C. Burton said this week. Mr Burton, who retired last year from the position of senior advisory officer in the External Affairs Department, Wellington, is visiting Christchurch and surrounding districts as this year’s vicepresident of the Methodist Conference. He is also the national president of the United Nations Association in New Zealand. Where good private board with people who had an understanding of the needs and difficulties of a foreign student had been found, students had settled in very happily, Mr Burton said. The response of the public in providing such accommodation had, on the whole, been fairly good. Visit to South-east Asia About two years ago he had made a private visit to a number of South-east Asian countries and had renewed acquaintances with many who had studied in New Zealand and had been pleased to find that in general these people, on returning to their own countries, had been well placed in positions using the education or training they had received in New Zealand to good advantage, he said. “New Zealand people can be assured that the help that is being given through the Colombo Plan and other means is assisting both in the development of backward countries and in the fostering of good understanding.” During the next week, Mr Burton will speak at suburban Methodist churches, and on Saturday afternoon he will lead a district rally to be held at St. Matthew’s Church hall, Cranford street. On

October 7 he will address the Methodist Women’s Fellowship Conference at Durham Street Methodist Church hall. During his stay he will speak on two themes: the responsibility of Christian people to the community and country as a whole and to international matters, especially the aid and assistance of developing nations: and the relative roles of clergy and laymen in the specific programme and mission of the church to the world. In the second half of October he will visit South Canterbury and Otago districts.